8 Geeky Things to Do With a Pringles Can

If you’re looking for something to do with that round cardboard tube after you’ve just inhaled your entire can of Pringles, then keep reading this post.

If there’s one thing that geeks love more than geeky things, it’s junk food. And Pringles potato crisps (yes, crisps. They can’t legally call them “chips” because they’re made from dried potatoes). The distinctive packaging, a famous round tube, makes it an attractive option for people who like to hack things.

Cantenna

This seems to be the classic option for cool Pringles can mods. Apparently, Pringles cans are too thin to serve as a good antenna. But that doesn’t stop people from trying. With just a few cheap parts, you can build a directional antenna. Just be careful if you do. You don’t want the FCC or any other agencies on your case. It seems that just about anything can be used to pick up Wi-Fi, including T-shirts.

Pinhole Camera

A safer option than building a cantenna (which as mentioned above, doesn’t really work that well with Pringles cans) is to make a pinhole camera. There are several places listing instructions using Pringles cans. Your photos won’t reproduce anything near the quality of the latest multi-megapixel cameras, or even a basic VGA camera phone, but it’s still neat to make a camera out of something that would otherwise become garbage.

Blow Up The Pringles Can

If you want to get the Pringles out of the can, and find that your huge mitts won’t actually fit inside it, you can always just blow up the can, as Steve Spangler demonstrates. If you’ve got some hydrogen gas lying around, just fill a balloon up with it, punch a couple of holes in the can, then let the balloon deflate into the hole, filling up the can. Then light a match, stick it into the other hole in the can, and wait a few seconds. The can will then launch like a rocket, leaving the crisps on the table, ready to eat. It looks cool, but please don’t try this at home, no matter how awesome this is.

Play Miniature Golf

If you’ve got some free time over the weekend or you’re stuck inside in a rainy day, if you follow these instructions you can build your own miniature golf hole out of a Pringles can.

Pringles Cannon

Another one to put on the “do not try this at home list.” There are lots of people making amateur cannons, and a lot of them use Pringles cans because of their distinctive shape.

Pringles Macro Lens

Pinhole cameras aren’t the only photography-related Pringles hack. Macro lenses are great for taking really tight close-ups that reveal details and textures of everyday objects. But the special macro lenses are expensive. This project only requires a standard SLR lens, a Pringles can, some glue, some spray paint, some black cloth, and a Dremel tool, and you have your very own macro lens for a cost of about $10, assuming you already have the Dremel. Yes, you can try this one at home.

Pringles Macro Lens Light

Macro lenses also need a lot of light if the images are to show up correctly. Naturally, you can also save a lot of money using a Pringles can yet again to whip up your own.

Be Buried in a Pringles Can

Sadly, geeks too are mortal. Since this post revolves around using Pringles cans to save money and funerals are expensive, those round cans come in handy. When Proctor & Gamble food scientist Dr. Frederic Baur, whose long career included designing the famous packaging for the brand, died in 2008 at the age of 89, his family honored his request to have part of his ashes buried in his creation.

The Pringles can seems to invite people to try figure out things to do with them once they finish eating their salty snacks. Have you done anything interesting with a Pringles can? Why not tell us about it in the comment section?